Systems and methods for efficient air sterilization without circulation unsanitized air

ABSTRACT

An air sanitization device is provided where a UV-C generator applied UV-C to infected air for sterilization and then the sterilized air is used to cool heat sinks attached to the UV-C. One or more fans can be utilized to push and/or pull air through the device. For example, the fans may create airflow in the device above, for example 200 liters per minute or above 400 liters per minute. Accordingly, a closed air system with a fan may push air through a UV-C generation device to sanitize air and the sanitized air may be pushed over a heat sink attached to the UV-C generation device and then pushed out of the closed air system into the environment. Thus, sanitized air may be circulated by the fan while being air cooled in a manner that does not circulate contaminated air.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Nos. 63/140,237, titled “LARGE-SCALE UV-C INACTIVATIONDEVICES AND SIMULATIONS OF THE SAME,” filed Jan. 21, 2021 (AttorneyDocket No. D/188PROV), 63/109,333, titled “INCREASING EFFICIENCY OF UV-CINACTIVATION DEVICES,” filed Nov. 3, 2020 (Attorney Docket No.D/187PROV), 63/085,140, titled “UV-C VIRUS INACTIVATION DEVICES ANDSUPRESSING SOUND AND OPERATING THE SAME,” filed Sep. 29, 2020 (AttorneyDocket No. D/186PROV-2), 63/085,134, titled “UV-C VIRUS INACTIVATIONDEVICES AND SUPRESSING SOUND AND OPERATING THE SAME,” filed Sep. 29,2020 (Attorney Docket No. D/186PROV-1), 63/056,534, titled “SYSTEMS ANDMETHODS FOR UV-C INACTIVATED VIRUS VACCINES AND UV-C SANITIZATION,”filed Jul. 24, 2020 (Attorney Docket No. D/185PROV), 63/042,494, titled“SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR EFFICIENT AIR STERILIZATION WITHOUT CIRCULATIONUNSANITIZED AIR,” filed Jun. 22, 2020 (Attorney Docket No. D/184PROV),63/023,845, titled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR HANDS-FREE OBJECTSTERILIZATION,” filed May 12, 2020 (Attorney Docket No. D/183PROV),63/018,699, titled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR UV-C SURFACE STERILIZATION,”filed May 1, 2020 (Attorney Docket No. D/182PROV), 63/015,469, titled“SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR INCREASING WORK AREA AND PERFORMANCE OF UV-CGENERATORS,” filed Apr. 24, 2020 (Attorney Docket No. D/181PROV),63/009,301, titled “UV-C AMPLIFIERS AND CONTROL OF THE SAME,” filed Apr.13, 2020 (Attorney Docket No. D/180PROV), 63/006,710, titled “SYSTEMS,DEVICES AND METHODS FOR ULTRA-DENSE, FLEXIBLE LED MICRO-ARRAYS FOR INVIVO VIRAL LOAD REDUCTION,” filed Apr. 7, 2020 (Attorney Docket No.D/179PROV-3), 63/003,882, titled “SYSTEMS, DEVICES AND METHODS FORULTRA-DENSE, FLEXIBLE LED MICRO-ARRAYS FOR IN VIVO VIRAL LOADREDUCTION,” filed Apr. 1, 2020 (Attorney Docket No. D/179PROV-2),63/001,461, titled “SYSTEMS, DEVICES AND METHODS FOR ULTRA-DENSE,FLEXIBLE LED MICRO-ARRAYS FOR IN VIVO VIRAL LOAD REDUCTION,” filed Mar.29, 2020 (Attorney Docket No. D/179PROV-1), each of which is herebyincorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to sterilization.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A UV-C generation device is provided that includes multiple UV-C lightemitting diodes (“LEDs”) positioned around a work area. For example, themultiple UV-C LEDs may be positioned around a cylinder. The cylinder maybe, for example, comprised of a UV-C transparent material (e.g., amaterial with UV-C transparency greater than fifty percent (50%) suchas, for example, quartz or UV-C transparent polymer. The LEDs may belocated on a flexible printed circuit board. The flexible printedcircuit board may be fabricated, for example, from a polyimide or FR4and may be, for example between 2 thousandths of an inch and seventhousandths of an inch thick (e.g., between 2 and 4 thousandths of aninch thick such as between 2 and 2.5 thousandths of an inchd thick). Aworking substance (e.g., a gas, a liquid, an air and liguid) may flowthrough the cylinder and the UV-C LEDs may interact with the workingsubstance to, for example, sterilize the working substance. The UV-CLEDs may, for example, have a wavelength between 200 and 280 nanometers(e.g., between 220 and 280 nanometers or between 250 and 265 nanometersor between 255 and 260 nanometers such as 255, 260, or 265 nanometers).

Each UV-C LED may be independently controlled and regulated throughcontrol and regulation circuitry on the flexible printed circuit boardor another device. Accordingly, the intensity of each UV-C LED as wellas the turn-ON time and turn-OF time of each UV-C LED may beindependently controlled. A processor may be provided on the flexiblecircuit board or on another communicatively coupled device to controlthe operation of the UV-C LEDs.

The flexible printed circuit board may be, for example, wrapped aroundall of, or a portion of, the cylinder so that the UV-C LEDs may provideUV-C light into the cylinder through the cylinder wall. UVC-LEDs may bearranged in rows and columns. A UV-C flexible circuit when wrappedaround a cylinder may, for example, have rows of three (3) UV-C LEDs inmultiple columns (e.g., three columns, six columns, nine columns, twelvecolumns, more than twelve columns, or any number of columns).Accordingly, six columns of three UV-C LEDs would provide eighteen UV-CLEDs. The UV-C LEDs may be aligned in rows or staggered in rows aroundthe cylinder. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that theworkspace may not be provide din a cylinder but in any shape thatprovides a workspace (e.g., inside a cube, rectangular, triangular, orany other type of housing).

UV-C reflective material may be provided on the flexible printed circuitboard around the UVC-LEDs or selectively provided, around the UV-C LEDsplacement so as to not generally impede UV-C emanating from the UV-CLEDs, on the interior surface or exterior surface of the cylindricalhousing. Such a UV-C reflective material may include, for example,aluminum.

One or more heat sinks may be provided around the UV-C LEDs in order tocapture and expel heat from UV-C LEDs away from those UV-C LEDs. Abattery and/or wall plug and/or battery and wall-plug may be utilized tocharge, for example, one or more rechargeable batteries located inside ahousing that includes the working space.

Manual inputs may be operable to receive manual input from outside of ahousing that may include the working area (e.g., a UV-C transparentcylinder) or be placed within the proximity of a working area.Temperature, humidity, and flow rate may be added and utilized to, forexample, control the intensity of one or more of the UV-C LEDs so that,for example, the intensity may be changed for different temperatures,flows, and/or humidity.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that other types ofUltraviolet LEDs, or other light sources, may be provided on an LEDarray such as UV-B and UV-A LEDs. Similarly, additional wavelengths oflight may be provided in LEDs, or other types of light sources. Aspectrometer, or other device, may be included to determine the type ofmaterial in the working space and may activate different LEDs ordifferent types of LEDs (e.g., based on the detected material(s)).Similarly, different UV-C LEDs, or non-LED UV-C sources, may providedifferent wavelengths and different modes may be provided to control theUV-C LEDs so a subset of the UV-C LEDs may provide a particularnanometer wavelength (e.g., 255 to 265 nanometers) and other UV-C LEDsmay provide another particular nanometer wavelength (e.g., 270 to 280nanometers).

A flexible circuit board does not have to be rolled, for example, forthe flexible circuit board to sterilize a working surface. A device mayhave a generally flat flexible circuit board at a perimeter separatedfrom a surface that has contaminant (e.g., virus and/or bacteria) thatrequires sterilization). The housing may have a handle (e.g., aremovable handle) so that the UV-C sterilization device can be providedas want for moving over, and sterilizing, a surface.

The housing may include multiple mateable ports for handles such that,for example, one handle may be inserted into one mateable port toprovide a sanitizing and a larger handle may be inserted into adifferent mateable port to provide a sanitizing moop/broom. Such a UV-Csanitizing device may be wall mounted such that, for example, someonecan place their hands in a working space and have theit handssterilized. The device may operate on two modes—human mode and non-humanmode. The device can prompt this to the user for the mode, wait for theuser to activate the mode, or autonomously activate the mode.

The flexible circuit board with multiple UV-C LEDs may be articulatedvia motors and/or other controls so that different areas that, forexample, include UV-C LEDs may be moved away from each other or to eachother or moved closer to, or further away from, the other LED's.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciated that a fixed distancesurface cleaner may be utilized. A fixed distance surface cleaner maybe, for example, permanently attached (e.g., bolted and/or screwed) to asurface (e.g., a counter-top) so that objects may be passed in front ofUV-C generating portion(s) to sterilize the objects. For example, a UV-Csurface sanitizer may be provided on a countertop next to apoint-of-sale register. A customer may pass a credit card and or acurrency bill and/or a coil under a UV-C sanitization device to sanitizea device. A UV-C generating device may be embedded in the countertop orplaced in the countertop and may face upwards so an object provided overit may be sanitized on the surface(s) facing the UV-C generation. UV-Cgeneration units may provide a particular amount of UV-C light at aparticular point and may be controlled, over time, to provide thatamount of UV-C light at that particular point. Accordingly, for example,UV-C light may be provided at an amount that sterilizes at a particulardistance (e.g., under 5 millimeters from the surface of a counter) butnot at a further point (e.g., beyond 5 millimeters) from the surface ofa counter. UV-C generators may be provided over and/or under a conveyer(e.g., a gapped and/or conveyer with UV-C transparent material).

A UV-C air sterilization device is provided in which a fan (e.g., axialfan and/or centrifugal fan) pushes and/or pulls air through a workingarea into which UV-C is applied. The air may then be directed over theUV-C sources of light so that the sterilized air is also used to removeheat from the UV-C sources. The circulated air that has been sanitizedand utilized to remove heat from the sanitization device may then be,for example, expelled from the device. In doing so, the device may movesanitized air from the device without moving non-sanitized air from thedevice.

An air sanitization device may also apply other types of light such asUV-A and/or UV-B light in addition to, or in place of, UV-C light. A fanmay have several speeds such that different efficacies of sterlizationmay be provided and/or different air speeds may be provided.

One or more fixed and/or removable mechanical particulate filters may beprovided (e.g., before the working area of the UV-C sanitizationdevice). In doing so, particulates may be kept away from A UV-C workingarea of the device.

One or more (e.g., several) speed settings may be provided to circulateair through a UV-C working area. Such various speeds may, for example,provide different impact rates (e.g., inactivation rates) of variousair-born contaminants (e.g., virus) and may provide different speeds atsanitizing air.

An autonomous cleaning operation may be provided by a UV-C sanitizationdevice that may clean a UV-C generating device. For example. an airsterilization device may utilize one or more fans to move air through aUV-C working area at a maximum speed during operation. However, duringcleaning, the one or more fans may move the air through the UV-C workingarea at a faster rate and such a faster rate may be constant for aperiod of time or may include several pulses of air. A cleaningsubstance may also be released to be moved through the working areaduring an autonomous leaning operation. A portion of a UV-C airsterilization device may be accessible to a user so that the user may,for example, access a UV-C working area of a UV-C air sanitizationdevice for cleaning. Cleaning objects (e.g., a brush that can fit intothe working area of a UV-C sanitization device, cloth, and/or otherobject may be provided in a sealed box with the UV-C air sanitizationdevice for consumer sale). A UV-C sanitization device may have anindicator (e.g., verbal and/or audible) to provide a notification to auser that a user-driven and/or user-assisted cleaning process isdesired. A housing of a UV-C sanitization device may include, forexample, a mating structure such that a cleaning object may be mated tothe UV-C sanitization device.

One or more light sources (e.g., visible light sources) may be placed inone or more working areas of a UV (e.g., UV-A, UV-B, and/or UV-C) airsanitization device and one or more sensors that can detect the lightprovided from those light sources may be placed in the working channelor areas where light from the light sources may reach. Persons skilledin the art will appreciate that different intensities of light sensedmay, for example, be indicative of different amounts of residue (e.g.,dirt and/or dust) that may have gathered on the surfaces of a UV-Cworking area as different amounts of residue may decrease, for example,the reflectivity of the surfaces with the reside. Persons skilled in theart will appreciate that materials that are transparent to particularwavelengths may be utilized in a uV-C working area. Light (e.g., visibleand/or non-visible light) may be provided through these transparentmaterials and sensors may be utilized to determine any residue on suchtransparent materials. Accordingly, light sources (e.g., visible lightand/or non-visible light sources) may be utilized with sensors todetermine the state of cleanliness of UV-C working surfaces by detectingdifferent amounts of residue. Additionally, for example, UV-C sensorsmay be utilized to determine the amount of UV-C light in particularareas to determine, for example, how much reflectivity and/ortransparency has been degraded from residue over reflective and/ortransparent materials in and/or around a UV-C working area,respectively. Residue may be, for example, determined by direct sensingmeans such as for example a camera that takes a picture and analyzes thepicture.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The principles and advantages of the present invention can be moreclearly understood from the following detailed description considered inconjunction with the following drawings, in which the same referencenumerals denote the same structural elements throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 are illustrations of UV-C devices constructed in accordance withthe principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 are illustrations of UV-C devices constructed in accordance withthe principles of the present invention;

FIG. 3 are illustrations of UV-C devices constructed in accordance withthe principles of the present invention;

FIG. 4 are illustrations of UV-C devices constructed in accordance withthe principles of the present invention;

FIG. 5 are illustrations of flow charts constructed in accordance withthe principles of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an illustration of UV-C device constructed in accordance withthe principles of the present invention;

FIG. 7 are illustrations of flow charts constructed in accordance withthe principles of the present invention;

FIG. 8 are illustrations of UV-C devices constructed in accordance withthe principles of the present invention;

FIG. 9 are illustrations of UV-C devices constructed in accordance withthe principles of the present invention;

FIG. 10 are illustrations of UV-C devices constructed in accordance withthe principles of the present invention;

FIG. 11 are illustrations of UV-C devices constructed in accordance withthe principles of the present invention; and

FIG. 12 are illustrations of UV-C devices constructed in accordance withthe principles of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows device 100 that may include any number of ultraviolet C(UV-C) light sources such as UV-C light emitting diodes 102 and 103.UV-C sources may have a wavelength between approximately 200 nanometersand 280 nanometers. Processor 106 and additional circuitry 107 may beincluded on circuit board 101 in additional to input/output ports 104and 105.

Printed circuit board 101 may be, for example, a non-flexible or aflexible printed circuit board. Input/output ports 104 and 105 may be,for example, contacts to couple to another circuit board or an externaldevice. Processor 106 may, for example, control UV-C LEDs 102 and 103using firmware that is downloaded into processor 106 or provided in amemory of processor 106 before or after placement on circuit board 101.Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that printed circuit board101 may be multiple printed circuit boards that are communicativelycoupled together to form a multiple circuit board device. Differentcircuit boards of a multiple circuit board device may be provided in asingle housing or in different housings.

Firmware updates may be downloaded through input/output ports 104 and105. Any number of input/output ports may be provided and differentprotocols may be utilized for different ports. Additionally, blue-tooth(e.g., BLE), contactless (e.g., RFID), telecommunications (e.g.,cellular such as 4G or 5G cellular), infrared, or other wirelesscommunication structures may be provided such as wireless communicationchips, circuitry, protocols, and ports may be provided. Wireless powergeneration may be provided and may be utilized by power circuitry tochange a battery coupled to printed circuit board 101 (e.g., throughbattery contact pads on circuit board 101).

Printed circuit board 101 may be a flexible polyimide or flexible Fr$.Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that such a flexible printedcircuit board may be, for example between two thousandths of an inch andseven (7) thousands of an inch in thickness (e.g., between twothousandths of an inch and three thousands of an inch in thickness).Silicon chips may be grinded and polished before placement on printedcircuit board 101 to between, for example, five thousandths and tenthousandths of an inch in thickness). Such chips may be mounted onprinted circuit board 1010 via a flip-on-flex structure or via awire-bonded structure. A wire-bonded structure may be for example alow-provide wire-bonded structure with wire-bonds that are placed withless than a five thousandths of an inch profile above the silicon chipand encapsulant that is less than three thousandths of an inch aboveeach wire-bond The entire thickness from the bottom of flexible circuitboard to the top of an encapsulant of a chip may be, for example underfourteen thousandths of an inch thick (e.g., under twelve thousandths ofan inch thick). For example, the thickness from the bottom of circuitboard 101 to the top of the encapsulant may be between ten and sixteenthousandths of an inch thick (e.g., between twelve and fourteenthousandths of an inch thick). Wire-bonds may be for example, goldwire-bonds or aluminum wire-bonds. A low-profile encapsulant may beprovided that utilizes at least two separate encapsulate provisioningsteps in order to provide the low-profile encapsulant.

Processor 106 may be one or more processors and may be provided between,for example, twenty megahertz and five gigahertz. Persons skilled in theart will appreciate that faster processors may provide faster control ofUV-C LEDs 102 and 103. Faster control of UV-C LEDs may provided shorterON times which may provide the ability to damage and sterilize certainelements (e.g., virus) without damaging and sterilizing other elements(e.g., living tissue and cells). Processor 106 may, for example, provideON times for UV-C LEDs 102 and 103 less than, for example, 100nanoseconds, less than 10 nanoseconds, less than 1 nanosecond. Forexample, Processor 106 may turn ON UV-C LEDs 102 and 103 betweenapproximately 1 and 100 nanoseconds (e.g., between 20 and 60 nanosecondsor between 30 and 50 nanoseconds). High speed control circuitry may alsobe provided in order to control UV-C LEDS 102 and 103 between 1 and 100femptosecond (e.g., between 1 and 50 femptoseconds or between 1 and 20femptoseconds).

Circuitry 107 and 108 may include, for example, regulation and controlcircuitry for UV-C, or other, sources of light on circuit board 101 aswell as sources of light and other circuitry on other boards or externaldevices. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that UV-C LEDs oncircuit board 101 may be, fore example, individually regulated andcontrolled or controlled as a group or in subsets. For example, circuitboard 101 may include over ten (10) or over one hundred (100) UV-C LEDs.UV-C LEDs may be regulated and controlled in groups of two or more(e.g., three or more). A portion of UV-C LEDs may be regulated andcontrolled independently while another portion of UV-C LEDs may beregulated as a group or in sub-groups.

UV-C LEDs on printed circuit board 101 may be, for example, UV-C LEDshaving the same wavelength of may have different wavelengths and theymay be independently controlled at different times using differentcontrol profiles that provide different turn ON an turn OFF pulses(e.g., the duration of an OFF state for one or more UV-C LEDs may be thesame duration or a different duration such as a longer or shorterduration than the ON duration for the respective one or more UV-C LEDs).The UV-C LEDs may all be between approximately 200 and 280 nanometers(e.g., provided at or between 250 and 270 nanometers such as provided ator between 255 and 265 nanometers). Some UV-C LEDs may be provided, forexample, at or between 250 and 260 nanometers while others are provided,for example, at or between 260 and 270 nanometers. One or moreadditional light sources may be provided on board 101 such as, forexample, UV-B, UV-A, VUV, and visible spectrum light sources.

Visible spectrum light sources may be provided, for example, to providea visual indicator when board 101 is ON or OFF as well as differentoperating modes. For example, a visible spectrum LED may be asingle-color LED (e.g., white, green, blue, Or red) or a multiple colorLED and may provide indication of when a battery (e.g., a rechargeablebattery) is low and/or critically low on power. Manual inputs may beincluded on circuit board 101 to receive, for example, manual input toturn circuit board 101 ON, Off, and/or change between different modes ofoperation (e.g., different intensities for UV-C LEDs 102 and 103).

Circuit board 101 may be a single layer or multiple layer circuit board.For example, circuit board 101 may have two, three, four, or morelayers. Printed circuit board 101 may be flexible. Persons skilled inthe art will appreciate that a flexible circuit board may be at leastpartially or fully wrapped around or contorted around one or moreobjects (e.g., one or more working spaces for sterilization by the UV-CLEDs of board 101). Persons skilled in the art will appreciate thatflexible circuit board 101 may utilized for multiple sterilizationdevices as flexible circuit board 101 may be able to flex around one ormore objects (e.g., one or more hollow cylinders in which workingmaterial may be sterilized by UV-C LEDs) or may not be flexed and maylie flat next to an object (e.g., a surface of an object desired to besterilized). Flexible circuit board 101 may be actuated so it can beflexed around different objects or placed next to an object so onedevice may be used in different configurations to change the location ofelements of circuit board 101 to sterilize different objects and/orsurfaces.

Circuit board 101 may include multiple rows and columns of UV-C LEDs andeach UV-C LED, row of UV-C LEDs, and/or column of UV-C LEDs may be, forexample, independently controlled (e.g., by processor 106 via additionalcircuitry such as additional circuitry 107). Circuit board 101 mayinclude, for example, rows of three (or more) UV-C LEDs and columns offive (or more) UV-C LEDs). Persons skilled in the art will appreciatethat rows may include the same number of UV-C LEDs or a different numberof UV-C LEDs than other rows. Persons skilled in the art will appreciatethat columns of UV-C LEDs may include the same or different number ofUV-C LEDs than other columns. A row of UV-C LEDs may have, for example,six UV-C LEDs so that if circuit board 101 is rolled around a tube in aparticular manner that the UV-C LED row provides a hexagonal disc aroundthat tube. Each column may then, for example, provide another hexagonaldisc of UV-C LEDs.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that circuit board 101 may befolded to provided UV-C LEDs facing in two (or more directions), leftunfolded so the UV-C LEDs face in a single direction, wrapped around anobject so the UV-C LEDs face into the object, folded inside of an object(e.g., a tube) so the UV-C LEDs face outside of the object, wrappedaround an object (e.g., a brontoscopy or proble) with the UV-C LEDsfacing away from that object, or in any form to provide UV-C LED lightto any object or objects. Persons skilled in the art will appreciatethat circuit board 101 may have UV-C LEDs on a single side of board 101or multiple sides of board 101.

Cross section 110 shows a cross-section of flexible circuit board 113including UV-C LEDs 114 and 115 inside of a tube having an interiorsurface 112 and an exterior surface 111. Such a tube may be cylindricalin shape or may have a non-cylindrical shape. Any UV-C material utilizedwith a sterilization device may be UV-C transparent and may have UV-Ctransparency greater than fifty percent (50%), greater than seventypercent (e.g., 70%), greater than eighty percent (80%), or greater thanninety percent (e.g., 90%). Such a UV-C transparent material may be, forexample, quartz. Cross section 110 may, for example, include a crosssection that includes two or more UV-C LEDs such as three or more UV-CLEDS or six or more UV-C LEDs. Persons skilled in the art willappreciate that cross-section 110 may be provided such that a flexiblecircuit board having UV-C LEDs is inserted into a rigid or flexible tubethat is UV-C transparent to be placed in a cavity of a living organism(e.g., a nasal, throat, or lung cavity) or wrapped around or a part of astructure (e.g., a bronchoscope, nasapharangeascope, or another type ofscope) in order to sterilize material placed about the tube having outersurface 111 and inner surface 112 from contaminants (e.g., viruses).Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a thinner thicknessbetween inner surface 111 and 112 of any tube used in connection with asterilization device may provide more UV-C light to penetrate throughinner wall 11 and 112 to interact with a working material. Accordingly,the thickness between inner surface 111 and 112 may be, for example, ator between half a millimeter and four millimeters (e.g., at or betweenhalf a millimeter and two and a half millimeters such as at or between amillimeter and two millimeters). For example, the thickness of a UV-Ctransparent material may be approximately two millimeters in thickness.

Side view 140 shows a side view of a cylinder with a flexible circuitboard having UV-C LEDs wrapped around the cylinder. More particularly,side view 140 includes flexible circuit board 141 wrapped around acylinder that has multiple UV-C LEDs such as UV-C LEDS 142, 143, 144,and 145. UV-C LEDs and 143 may be part of a UV-C disc that includesthree or more UV-C LEDs. For example, the far side (not shown) of sideview 140 may include a single UV-C LED aligned with UV-C LED 142 and 143to provide a three UV-C LED disc around a hallow cylinder when placedaround a hollow cylinder. UV-C LEDs may be facing into the hollowcylinder to provide UV-C light into a working area inside of the hollowcylinder in order to interact (e.g., sterilize) material (e.g., virus)in and/or moving through that working area. UV-C LED 142 may be alignedwith UV-C LED 144 and UV-C LED 143 (and other UV-C LEDs) may be alignedwith 145 (and other UV-C LEDs), respectively, so that the UV-C LEDs ofmultiple discs and/or rows are aligned with each other when wrappedaround an object.

Cross-sectional view 120 shows circuit board 123 that may include onemore UV-C LEDs (e.g., UV-C LED 124) located around a UV-C transparenthollow cylinder provided by interior wall 121 and exterior wall 122.\

Cross-sectional view 130 shows circuit board 131 located around a hollowcylinder that included an interior wall 132 and an exterior wall 133.Circuit board 131 may have one or more UV-C LEDs (e.g., UV-C LEDs 134and 135).

Side view 150 shows flexible circuit board 152 wrapped around a hollowcylinder such that LED discs are formed that are staggered from oneanother. For example, UV-C LED 153 may be associated with two ore moreUV-C LEDs located on the far side of the cylinder while UV-C LEDs 152and 154 may be associated with one or more UV-C LEDs located on the farside of the cylinder. Each UV-C LED disc may have the same (ordifferent) number of UV-C LEDs but, for example, these UV-C LED discsmay be staggered such that material flowing through the cylinder atdifferent locations may have staggered UV-C LEDs that may be closer tothe material than if the UV-C LEDs were not staggered with respect toone another. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that multipleUV-C discus, rows, or columns may be staggered in two or moreconfigurations 9 e.g., three or more configurations) and multiple groupsof UV-C LEDs may be staggered differently than different groups of UV-CLEDS.

Device 160 shows a stepped hollow cylinder 162 that has three circuitboards, each having multiple UV-C LEDs wrapped around different portionsof the stepped hollow cylinder. For example, circuit boards (e.g.,circuit board 101 of FIG. 1) may be placed (e.g., wrapped around)portions 162, 163, and 164. Persons skilled in the art will appreciatethat multiple circuit boards (e.g., circuit board 101 of FIG. 1) may beindependently controlled via the same of different firmware on eachboard. Multiple circuit boards may be coupled to a processor and/orcircuit board located outside of the boards with UV-C LEDs. A circuitboard with UV-C LEDs may act as a master control circuit board toanother circuit board with UV-C LEDs that acts as a slave circuit boardsuch that the master control circuit board controls the slave circuitboard.

Cross-sectional view 170 includes circuit board 173 around a hollowcylinder including interior wall 171 and exterior wall 172. Thecylinder, as in any structure that is provided to include a workingspace in that structure, may be UV-C transparent. Circuit board 173 mayinclude one or more UV-C LEDs (e.g., UV-C LED 176) that faces into thewalls 171 and 172 such that UV-C light from UV-C LED 176 passes throughwalls 172 and 172 to impact the working space provided by wall 171. Amaterial, e.g. air, may be flowed through the working space provided bywall 171 so that UV-C LEDs may impact (e.g., sterilize) that materialfrom contaminants (e.g., virus and/or bacteria). Persons skilled in theart will appreciate that a flexible circuit board having UV-C LEDs maybe laminated into the hollow cylinder itself (e.g., between walls 171and 172. Such a configuration may, for example, provide UV-C LEDs closerto the working space. A fan, or other material movement system, may beprovided to impact the speed that material is moving through the workingspace.

Post 175 may be UV-C transparent and may include UV-C LED 174.Configuration 181 may be provided in place of UV-C 174 and may includemultiple UV-C LEDs. Any UV-C LED may be tilted at an angle on any axisin order to provide UV-C LED light in any direction. UV-C LEDs 182, 183,184 may be provided on structure 185 and may be tilted differently onone or more axis from each other).

UV-C LEDs 174 or any UV-C LED located outside of a circuit board (e.g.circuit board 173) may be communicatively coupled (e.g., coupled by aphysical conductor) to circuit board 173 so that circuit board 173 maycontrol one or more UV-C LEDs located outside of circuit board 173.

A working space may be any working space in any device such as aventilator device. In providing UV-C sterilization in a ventilatordevice any air flowing through that ventilator device (e.g., airentering, flowing through, or exiting) the device may be sterilized.

FIG. 2 shows device 200 that may include housing 213. A hollow cylindermay be fluidically coupled to mateable portion 217 and mateable portion218 so that a working substance (e.g., air in a ventilator) may passthrough mateable portion 217, through the cylinder, and through mateableportion 218. Mateable portion 217 may be a male mateable part that fitsinto female mateable part (e.g., mateable part 218 may be a femalemateable part). In doing so, tubing used in, for example, medicaldevices such as ventiators may be coupled to mateable portion 217 and218 such that a working substance flowing through the ventilator istemporarily redirected through device 210. Circuit board 219 may includeUV-C LEDs (e.g. UV-C LEDs 220, 221, and 222) around a cylinder thatcircuit board 2019 is wrapped around). One or more heat sinks (e.g.,heat sinks 216 and 223) may be wrapped around a portion or all ofcircuit board 219 to draw heat generated from circuitry and UV-C LEDsaway from the working space (e.g., the space inside of the cylinder).The cylinder may be a UV-C transparent material (e.g., quartz) and mayinclude a thickness between an inner wall and an outer wall betweenapproximately 1.5 millimeters and 2.5 millimeters (e.g., approximately 2millimeters). Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that heat sink210 and 223 may be a single heat sink wrapped around circuit board 219wrapped around a hollow cylinder (or other structure providing a workingspace). Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a cylinder orother structure may not be provided and circuit board 219 may define theworking space itself. For example, circuit board 2019 may be wrappedinto a cylinder and a working material may be followed through thatcylinder. A protective layer may be placed (e.g., sprayed or placed) onone or more portions of one or more surfaces of the circuit board toprovide protection for the circuit board from any working material.

Device 210 may include one or more batteries 215 and 224. Personsskilled in the art will appreciate that batteries 215 and 224 may beseparate batteries or a single battery wrapped around housing 213.Batteries may be rechargeable or permanent and removable andreplaceable. Charging circuitry may be provided. External power mayrecharge the power or, for example, may power circuitry of device 210directly. Switching and regulation circuitry may control, for example,when external power (e.g., wall power) is utilized to charge arechargeable battery and/or power circuitry of device 210 directly.Manual interfaces 211 may be included such as, for example, to turndevice 210 ON/OFF and or change modes or enter other input data intodevice 210 (e.g., configure device settings and or device modes). Visualindicators 212 may be a bi-stable or non bi-stable display and/orsingle-color light source(s) and/or multiple color light source(s). Avisual indicator may be a two-color display (e.g., black and white ortwo tone display) or a several color display (e.g., a color display) andmay include an interface for the consumer. Visual indicators 212 mayinclude the status of device 210 Status may include, for example, statusinformation such as, for example, whether device 210 is operatingproperly or incorrectly as well as data associated with the device. Forexample, device 210 may provide a visual indication of a low battery,broken part (e.g., broken UV-C LED). Audio indicators may also beprovided such as speakers. Audio and/or visual information may beprovided such as, for example, when a battery is less than a particularamount of charge (e.g., less than twenty percent or less than tenpercent of charge) or when a software update is available. Externalports 214 may be provided anywhere on housing 213 such as on mateableport 217 and 218 such that external power and/or control and/or datainput/output may be provided. By including external ports 214 onmateable portions multiple devices can be physically coupled togetherand the coupled devices may communicate to each other (e.g., control andpower each other). Any number of devices 210 may be coupled to oneanother to, for example, provide a multiple or several device array or,for example, to increase the sterilization impact on a workingsubstance. Two or more devices 210 may be coupled to a ventilator. Twoor more devices 210 may be coupled to different parts of a ventilator ormay be coupled adjacently to a single part of a ventilator.

Devices 230 are provided that include device 232 having mateableportions 231 and 233, device 235 having mateable portions 234 and 236and device 328 having mateable portions 237 and 239. A working substancecan be flowed (e.g., pushed and/or pulled) through an opening inmateable portion 231 and through devices 232, 235, and 238 to beexpelled through an opening in mateable portion 239.

Devices 240 may be provided and may include devices 241, 243, 244, 246,247, 248, and 250. Adaptors 242 and 225 may be included to create ajoined working space between any number of devices. Adaptor 242 may, forexample, fluidically couple device 241 to device 243 and 244. Adaptor245 may, for example, fluidically coupled devices 243 and 244 to devices246, 247, 249, and 250.

FIG. 3 shows ventilator 310 that may include housing 311 tubing 312 anddevice 313 that may include device 313 for providing UV-C light to theworking substance provided by tubing 312. Deice 313 may be, for example,any UV-C generating device included herein such as, for example, device100 of FIG. 1.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a UV-C generating devicemay have liquid and/or gas flowed through it from any structure.Accordingly, for example, a UV-C sterilization device may be placedabout an input and/or output and/or filter port to any device such as aface mask. Accordingly, for example, a face mask wearer (e.g., amilitary, police, firefighter, caregiver) may enjoy improved protectionagainst contaminants (e.g., bacteria and/or virus). Configuration 320may be provided that may include UV-C sterilization device 322fluidically coupled to an air channel of mask 321. Persons skilled inthe art will appreciate that multiple UV-C sterilization devices may becoupled to one or more air channels of mask 321.

Configuration 330 of FIG. 3 shows device 331 coupled to UV-C generatingdevice 332. Device 331 may be, for example, an substance cooler,substance heater, substance fan, and may be fluidically coupled toprovide the substance worked on, expelled, or input into device 331through device 332 to provide, for example, sterilization capability.

Configuration 340 may be provided any may include device 341 fluidicallycoupled to device 343 through UV-C generation device 342 such that asubstance moved between device 341 and 343 may be sterilized by, forexample, device 342.

Configuration 350 may include device 353 communicatively coupled to UV-Cgenerating device 351 via physical or wireless communications 353 suchthat information and controls may be provided between device 353 anddevice 351.

Configuration 360 may be included that includes device 353 fluidicallycoupled to device 261 and communicatively coupled to device 264. Device264 may also be communicatively coupled or fluidically coupled to device261. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that device 362 may becommunicatively coupled to multiple or several other devices as well asfluidically coupled to multiple or several other devices.

FIG. 4 shows air sanitization device 410 which may have fan portion 412and control portion 411 that may include several state switch 414,button 413, and power connection 415. Persons skilled in the art willappreciate will appreciate that several state switch 414 may, forexample, a switch that has more than two states. Switch 414 may be,however, a switch that has two states. Button 413 may be a two stateswitch but may also have more than two states. Air sanitization device410 may, for example, be utilized to sterilize materials other than air.For example, air sanitization device may be utilized to sterilize aliquid (e.g., water, blood, bodily fluid, or a non-bodily fluid. Device410 may be, for example, a side view of device 410 and may includecontrol portion 421, fan portion 424, UV-C working area portion 422,mechanical grill 425, and extension portion 422. Air, or anothersubstance, may, for example, be brought into fan portion 424 by one ormore fans provided in fan portion 424. Mechanical grill 425 may, forexample, include mechanical structures to permit air to flow past themechanical structures, but that may prohibit structures beyond aparticular size from entering fan portion 424 so the fan(s) are notdamaged. Similarly, mechanical grill 425 may protect a person fromputting their hand into fan portion 424 so that the person does not getaccidently harmed while operating the UV-C air sanitization device.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that UV-C working areaportion 422 may include an area where UV-C is introduced to thesubstance flowing through device 422 for sterilization. Such an area maybe provided, for example, by a structure such as a tube made of UV-Creflective material (e.g., a PTFE material with at least 90%reflectivity or 95% reflectivity). Apertures may be cut into thestructure and one or more UV-C light emitting diodes may be provided inthe apertures. UV-C transparent material may be provided in theapertures, for example, such that the UV-C light emitting diodes providelight through the UV-C transparent material and into the working areaand the UV-C light may reflect off the UV-C reflective material and beretained, at least partially, in the working area. Persons skilled inthe art will appreciate that UV-C transparent material may be, forexample, a quartz with at least 85% UV-C transparency or at least 90%UV-C transparency. UV-C LEDs may be provided, for example, with UV-Cbetween 100 nm and 280 nm (e.g., between, and including, 200 and 280 nmor between, and including, 260 nm and 270 nm).

UV-C working area portion 422 may include heat sink and heat sink finsthat are thermally coupled to one or more UV-C light source(s) (e.g.,LED(s)) and permit air to flow past the heat sink and heat sink fins andremove heat from the heat from the device. Persons skilled in the artwill appreciate that a substance (e.g., air) may be brought through fanportion 424 through a structure such as a cylinder and UV-C may beapplied into this cylinder and then the treated air may be stopped fromexiting the device by interface portion 421 and then air may flow backoutside the cylinder past heat sinks and/or heat sink fins and then mayexit the device, for example, about extension portion 423. Personsskilled in the art will appreciate that UV-C treated air may be heatedby heat sinks and heat sink fins and this heat may perform additionalsanitization of certain types of contaminants that are reactant to heat(e.g., virus such as SARS-CoV-2).

Device 430 may be, for example, a view facing a fan portion of a device(e.g., fan portion of device 420) and may include fan portion 432 withgrill structures 433 and 431.

Device 440 may be, for example, a perspective view of an airsanitization device (e.g., an air sanitization fan) such as, forexample, a perspective view of device 420. Device 440 may include curvedinterface portion 441 and non-curved interface portion 442. Device 440may include screw attachment access portion 444 and fan 443 protected bygrill 445.

Device 450 may be, for example, a perspective view of an airsanitization device (e.g., an air sanitization fan) such as, forexample, a perspective view of device 420. An interface portion may beprovided with manual interfaces and other power and/or input and/oroutput connections. Interface portion may include an extension portion451 and a recessed portion 452. A recessed portion and an extensionportion may, for example, protect against objects accidently hittingmanual user interfaces. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate thatports may be used to deliver information and/or power to and/or fromdevice 450. Portable and/or stationary devices may be coupled to device450 for power and/or information. Any number of ports and/or manualinterfaces may be provided. For example, a port may be provided tocouple an external energy source (e.g., a wall outlet) to device 450. Asecond port may be provided, for example, to provide power from device450 as well as, for example, control signals from device 450 to anoscillator that mechanically moves device 450 (e.g., an oscillator on atripod or another type of stand).

Device 460 may be, for example, a perspective view of a portion of airsanitization device (e.g., an air sanitization fan) such as, forexample, a perspective view of device 420. Multiple state switch 464 maybe provided, push button 462 may be provided, and power input 463 may beprovided. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that multiple stateswitch 464 may have mor than two states. A several state switchstructure may be utilized (e.g., a several state sliding switch).Additional components 461 may be provided and may include, for example,visual and/or audible indicators to provide notifications to a userregarding the operating mode of device 460.

Device 480 may be provided and may be a fan of a air sanitizationdevice. Device 480 may be, for example, a centrifugal fan that may haveone, two, or more than two centrifugal blades 481. Device 485 may be aperspective view of device 480 and may include centrifugal one or morecentrifugal blades 486.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a UV-C working area maybe provided by a cylinder or other hollow structure such as a sphericalcylinder, elliptical cylinder, rectangular cylinder/prism, squarecylinder/prism, triangular cylinder/prism, or any other shape channelincluding channels that may change shape as the channels progress in adirection. UV-C LEDs may be provided on a flexible printed circuit boardthat is flexed around a cylinder (e.g., a quartz cylinder) and mountedto the cylinder and/hour housing (e.g. through screw apertures locatedon the printed circuit board). Any number of rows and columns of UV-CLEDs may be provided and these rows and/or columns may be aligned and/orstaggered for entire columns and/or rows or portions of columns and/orrows.

One or more heat sinks may be provided, for example, on the back of aflexible circuit board so that heat from a UV-C LED may travel from theUV-C LED through the circuit board to one or more heat sinks. A heatsink may be for example, aluminum and/or copper (e.g., copper inside ofthe aluminum to improve flow of heat through the aluminum). Thermalpaste or another thermal substance may be utilized to improve thermalcoupling of a portion of a device (e.g., back of circuit board under aUV-C LED) with a heat sink. One, two, or several Heat dissipation fins,such as fins 402 and 419, may be provided and may be provided as part ofor coupled to one or more heat sinks. Persons skilled in the art willappreciate that batteries may be provided in air sanitization houses.

An air sanitization device may be provided in which an object may bepassed through one or more UV-C working area(s). Different types of UVlight sources (e.g., tube lamps) and different types of UV light (e.g.,UV-A and/or UV-B devices) may be provided to provide various types of UVlight into a UV working area.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a UV-C generation devicemay have any number of UV LEDs of any number of types and wavelengthsand be provided in any configuration and density. Multiple devices maybe fluidically coupled together o so that the sterilization capabilitymay be increased by creating additional UV-C working areas that arefluidically coupled together (e.g., the output of an air sanitizationdevice is coupled to the input of an air sanitization device.

A UV-C working area defining structure (e.g., tube) may be provided at aslant with respect to a base. In providing a slant, UV light (e.g., UV-Clight) may be directed away from an opening so that UV-C light does notpass through the opening (e.g., the entrance). Different matingstructures may be provided about input and/or output outlets of an airsanitization device so that the air sanitization device may be, forexample, coupled to an external device such as a ventilator for airsterilization.

A conveyer or moveable tray or pushing object may be utilized to move anobject through a working channel. Persons skilled in the art willappreciate that structures may be provided in a UV working area to slowdown an object and or direct an object in a certain direction in orderto, for example, increase the time of an object in a working channel.For example, a working channel may include multiple turns in order to,for example, potentially decrease the speed of objects flowing through aworking channel.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the entrance and/or of aUV working area may take any dimension and shape, may take the samedimension and/or shapes, and/or may take different dimensions and/orshapes. Furthermore, persons skilled in the art will appreciate that aUV working area may have multiple entrances and multiple exits (and maybe bi-directional do objects can enter from any exit and enter throughany exit). The working area channel may have the same dimensions ordifferent dimensions as an opening. Multiple or several connected and/orindependent UV working areas may be provided in a device.

An opening to a UV-C working area may, for example, have any lengthand/or width. For example, the width of an opening may be less than,greater to, or equal to 0.5 inches, 1.0 inches, 1.5 inches, 2.0 inches,2.5 inches, 3.5 inches, 6 inches, 12 inches, 18 inches, 24 inches, etc.For example, the length of an opening may be less than, greater to, orequal to 0.5 inches, 1.0 inches, 1.5 inches, 2.0 inches, 2.5 inches, 3.5inches, 6 inches, 12 inches, 18 inches, 24 inches, etc. For example, thewidth of an opening may be less than 6 inches and the length of anopening may be less than 24 inches.

FIG. 5 shows topology 500 that may include UV-C generating devices 205that may include one or more UV-C arrays of LEDs coupled throughcommunications 501 to one or more internets and/or networks 502, one ormore remote databases and/or servers 503, one or more third party dataservices 504 (e.g., medical data services for a patient utilizing a UV-Cgenerating device), one or more other devices 507 (e.g., one or moreother medical devices for a patient using a UV-C generating device), oneor more other services 510 (e.g., a service that provides data regardingother UV-C generating devices), one or more third party services 509(e.g., timing/clock services for the timing/clock of a UV-C generatingdevices), and/or one or more peripherals 508 (e.g., external displays,external batteries).

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that UV-C generation devicesmay be utilized for surface sanitization such as sanitization of organicor inorganic material.

Process 560 may be included in which power is turned ON for an airsanitization device or an operating mode to turn the device ON isselected by a user. A setup process may be initiated if, for example,the device is being utilized for the first time or if the device isabout to be utilized in a particular way (e.g., for sanitization) or ifa particular period of time has lapsed since the last time the devicewas in setup mode or for sensors that are utilized to determine theexecution of a setup process is beneficial.

A UV-C air sanitization device setup process may be initiated in step562. A setup process may, for example, increase air flow in the devicefrom the maximum airflow that a customer can manually select in order toclean the working area of the device. A setup process may also include,for example, taking measurements of the amount of UV-C estimated to bein one or more working areas. Temperature sensors may be utilized, forexample, to determine temperatures being generated by any UV-C LEDs. Asetup process may, for example, step through multiple or several fanspeeds and/or UV-C LED intensities and/or UV-C duty cycles to determinethe performance of a device in a particular operating environment. Aftera setup mode is complete, the fan may operate in the selected manner andthe user may be notified in step 563 that the fan is in a selectedoperational mode. The air sanitization device may wait for an operatingmode to be changed autonomously or via manual input in step 564. Personsskilled in the art will appreciate that an air sanitization device mayhave, for example, a manual interface (e.g., a multiple or several stateknob) that may control when a device is ON, OFF, at a first fan speedsetting, at a second fan speed setting, at a third fan speed setting, ina cleaning mode, or a diagnostic mode, etc. Persons skilled in the artwill also appreciate that a switch am turn a device ON and anothermanual interface may change the operation of the device (e.g., selectspeeds and other operational modes). Alternatively, an air sanitizationdevice may autonomously determine different modes and/or may be directedto change modes by an external device. Any type of interface may beutilized such as, for example, one or more keypads (e.g., a numericaland/or alphanumeric and/or multiple state or more keypad) and/or one ormore displays (e.g., bi-stable displays and or non bi-stable displays).

Process 570 may include step 571 in which power is turned OFF or anoperating mode is turned to an OFF operating mode (e.g., autonomously orvia direction from manual input or external device input). A shutdownprocess may then occur, for example, in step 572. A cleaning process maybe performed as well as a sensor reading process prior to shut down.After the fan shutdown process of step 572, a user may be notified thefan is in a shut down step 573 until the fan is operated, or determinesto be operate din a different manner in step 574. Persons skilled in theart will appreciate that a shut down process may also slowly ramp downspeed to a fan in order to, for example, gradually transition from anoperating mode to a shut down mode. Persons skilled in the art willappreciate that power may still be operating a device in shut-down modeand a visual indicator (e.g., light and/or display) may indicate that adevice is shut down. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate thatsensors (e.g., temperature sensors, humidity sensors, etc) may beprovided both inside a UV-C working area as well as on one or moreexternal surfaces to measure, for example, external environmentconditions.

Process 580 may be included and may include a fan in sleep mode instep581 that may exit sleep mode in step 582 and goes into another mode(e.g., an operational mode or a maintenance mode). A maintenance modemay, for example, obtain sensor readings and performing one or morecleaning operations. If, for example, an air sanitization devicedetermines that more UV-C light is needed, then the current provided toone or more UV-C LED(s) may be increased and/or additional UV-C LED(s)may be turned ON. Alternatively, the duty cycle may be changes to one ormore UV-C LED(s) so the UV-C LED9(S) are ON more time than the UV-CLED9(S) are OFF during the duty cycle. Such actions may be determined instep 583 and performed in step 584 before the UV-C air sterilizationdevice returns to sleep mode. Persons skilled in the art may appreciatethat a device may be in sleep mode until put into an operating mode by aconsumer for air sterilization. Additionally, sensors may be utilized todetermine external conditions to put the device into a sterilizationmode. For example, camera(s) or other device(s) to determine if peopleare in the vicinity of the air sterilization device and the device maystart sterilization air as a result of detecting people. As per anotherexample, an air sterilization device may be communicatively coupled to alight switch so that the device sanitizes when the light switch is ONand then the fan is in sleep mode with pre-determined interfaces toawaken and sanitize for per-determined amounts of time (and/or timebased on sensor readings).

FIG. 6 includes device 600 that may include one or more processors 601,one or more manual inputs 602, one or more displays and/or visualindicators 603, one or more humidity detectors 605, one or more flowdetectors 605, one or more contact and/or contactless input and/oroutput ports 606, one or more speakers and/or microphones, one or moretemperature sensors 6 oi (e.g., to sense temperature in a workingspace), one or more pressure sensors 610 (e.g., pressure sensing forsensing pressure in a working space) and/or other sensors (e.g., metalsensors UV-C transparency sensors), one or more image and/or datacapture devices 610 (e.g., a visible and/or infrared or other spectrumcamera or data capture device), one or more light-emitting diodes and orother light emitting sources 612 (e.g. UV-C LEDs and/or UV-C lightemitting sources), one or more sources of energy 613 (e.g., rechargeableand/or removable batteries), one or more internet or intranetconnectivity devices 614, one or more slave and/or master devices 615,one or more auxiliary data storage devices 616 (e.g., a remote server),and one or more peripherals 618 (e.g., external fans that may oscillateor not oscillate in order to push air toward the sanitization device aspart of a larger air movement system).

FIG. 7 includes process 710 that may include step 711 in which a devicedetermines to enter cleaning mode, step 712 in which air flow isincreased through a working area to clean the working area, step 713 inwhich the impact of cleaning is determined, step 714 if the operatingmodes (e.g., sanitization modes) are to be updated (e.g., lower air flowand/or higher intensity UV-C light). Step 715 may be provided in whichthe device determines if timing of cleaning mode(s) and/or sensorreading checks are to be updated based on the received information, step716 in which device notifies user of status of device and/or operatingmodes, and the exiting of cleaning mode(s) in step 717.

Process 730 may include 731 in which sterilization is determined to beincreased (e.g., as a result of a user request and/or sensorreading(s)). Step 732 may be provided, in which a determination may bemade if fan(s) in the device (or external to the device) are to beslowed down in order to slow down the air flor in the device). Step 733may be included in which the intensity or operation mode(s) of one ormore light sources (e.g, UV-C LED(s)) are to be increased. Step 734 maybe included to determine if, for example, additional light source(s)(e.g., UV C LED(s) are to be activated. Step 735 may be included, forexample, to determine if light source(s) are to be turned OFF and/orintensity decreased. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that,over time, UV-C LEDs may become less efficient. As UV-Cs become lessefficient they may be turned down and/or OFF and new, or UV-C LEDs thathave not decayed as much in efficiency, may be increased (e.g., or usedmore with respect to the more decayed UV C LEDs). Step 736 may beincluded in which an air sterilization device may determine if cleaningmode(s) are to be implemented. Step 737 may be included to determine if,for example, a user is to be provided with any notifications (e.g., amessage sent to an email or mobile number including the status of theair sanitization device). Multiple air sanitization devices may becommunicatively coupled together and one device may act as a master toanother device to control the other device in a manner that, inconjunction with the master device, has a more effective sanitizationimpact.

Process 760 may be included and may include step 761 in which an airsterilization device determines if the speed of one or more fans and/oroperating modes is desired to be changed in step 761. Step 762 may beprovided in which the intensity and/or operating mode of the lightsources are determined if they should be changed or remain the same instep 762. Step 763 may be utilized to determine if heat is to be changedin the device. Heat may be changed, for example, by turning down theintensity or changing the duty cycle of one or more UV-C LEDs.Additionally, additional fans may be activated and/or additional airinlets may be opened (e.g., via one or more motors). The speed of one ormore fans may also be increased. Step 763 may be utilized to determineif humidity is needed to be changed in a device (e.g., to increasehumidity by adding a humidifier process or decrease humidity by adding adehumidification process). The performance of one or more particlefilters may be determined in step 765 and a user may be notified that aparticle filter is ready to be changed in step 765. Sensors maydetermine, for example, the effectiveness of a particle filter. Forexample, light may be provide through a particle filter and differentamount of lights may be representative of the amount of residue in theparticulate filter. Step 766 may be provided to release a cleaningmaterial (e.g., droplets of a cleaning material) into a device and theUV-C working area of an air sanitization device. Persons skilled in theart will appreciate that one or more osciallators may move an airsanitization device across one, two, three or more axis in order to moreeffectively sanitize air in a room.

FIG. 8 shows device 810 that may include fan portion 813 and centralportion 812. Central portion 812 may include, for example, a structurethat provides a working area for air, or another substance, to flowthrough, one or more circuit boards provided about the structure thatincludes one or more UV-C light sources (e.g., LEDs) as well asadditional electronics (e.g., microprocessors, input/output ports,additional circuitry), heat sinks and heat sink attachment structure(s)(e.g., thermal paste), heat sink fins and heat sink fins attachmentstructures (e.g., if the heat sink is separate from the heat sink finssuch as a copper heat sink and aluminum heat sink fins), and/or aprimary housing that provides a mechanical structure as a foundation forthe placement of structures in central portion 812.

Device 820 of FIG. 8 shows a cross section of an air sanitation device,which may be, for example, a cross section of device 810 of FIG. 8.Device 820 may include heat sink fins 822 (e.g., aluminum fins) coupledto heat sinks 823 (e.g., copper and/or aluminum heat sinks such as analuminum heat sink with copper heat transportation structures such asrods within the aluminum). Heat sink 823 may be a heat sink structurethat couples to, for example, a flexible circuit board coupled to tube825. Tube 825 may have a different shape on its external surface (e.g.,a six sided shape) than the shape on its internal surface (e.g., aspherical cylinder). Tube 825 may be fabricated, for example from a UV-Creflective material (e.g., PTFE) and may have apertures for placing UV-Ctransparent materials (e.g., quarts) so UV-C light from UV-C LEDs on aflexible circuit board placed on the exterior of tube 825 may flowthrough the UV-C transparent materials and enter working area 825provided by tube 825. Person skilled in the art will appreciate that thenumber of sides on the external surface tube 825) may match the numberof UV-C LED locations that are provided about the perimeter of tube 825.For example, if there are six possible UV-C LED locations about anexternal surface perimeter of tube 825 then tube 825 may have six sideson the external surface. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate thatthe external surface of tube 825 may be any shape (e.g., spherical) andmay match the shape of the internal surface of tube 825. Tube 826 may befabricated from multiple materials such as, for example, a tube of UV-Ctransparent material (e.g., quarts) that is coated (e.g., either on itsinterior or external surface) with a UV-C reflective material (e.g.,aluminum) with spaces in the UV-C reflective material aligning with UV-Clocations. Structure 821 may be provided and may be utilized to providea mechanical support structure for attaching pieces. Structure 821 mayalso be, for example, a heat sink. Portion 824 may be provided with orwithout heat sink fins. Additional heat sink (e.g., heat sinks 823) maybe provided and may attach to portion 824. A heat sink (e.g., heat sink824) may thermally couple to one or more sides of a flexible circuitboard, or other structure as a non-flexible circuit board, that providesUV light sources (e.g., UV-C LEDs). For example, heat sink 823 may bethermally coupled to UV sources located on two sides of the exterior oftube 825. Any number of screw and/or mounting holes and/or structuresmay be provided on any structure of a substance sanitization device suchas an air or liquid sanitization device. Persons skilled in the art willappreciate that different wavelengths of light (e.g., differentwavelengths of UV-C, UV-B, and/or UV-C, and/or sub 100 nm and orwavelengths greater than UV-A) may be provided about tube 825 to insertlight of that wavelength into working area 825. Different wavelengths oflight may, for example, provide improved different treatments fordifferent types of contaminants. For example, one type of UV treatmentmay be utilized to optimize inactivation of virus using a photoniceffect targeting the uracil of a virus while another type of UVtreatment may be utilized to optimize impact of contaminants using aphotonic effect targeting the thymine of a contaminant.

Device 830 may be provided that may include fan blade 835 operated by amotor that provides a working substance through the inlet (e.g., inlet834) of a working area so the substance can receive one or more types oftreatments (e.g., a heat treatment and a UV-C treatment). Personsskilled in the art will appreciate that multiple types of treatments maybe utilized. For example, heat may be introduced into a working area(e.g., by active heat generators or by heat sinks providing heat into aworking channel) in order to impact a contaminant (e.g. inactivate acontaminant or render a contaminant inoperable). Tube 832 may beprovided to provide a treatment working area. A working area may befabricated from one part or from multiple parts mechanically removablyattached or permanently fixed (e.g., welded and/or adhered) together.Outlet 833 may be provided so that air may flow out of a treatmentworking area. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that materialsforming an inlet and/or outlet may fabricated from different materialsfrom a portion of a working area structure between an inlet and outlet.For example, the inlet and outlet portions may be non UV-C reflective ontheir surfaces facing a treatment working area such that UV-C does notreflect off those surfaces and out of the treatment working area.Furthermore, for example, any number of inlets and or outlets may beprovided into a working area. For example, a working area may have oneinlet and two or three or more outlets. As per another example, aworking area may have one outlet and two or three or more inlets. As peranother example, a working area may have two or three or more inlets andoutlets and the number of inlets and outlets may be the same or may bedifferent. Inlets and/or outlets may have different sizes and shapes andinterior and exterior surface shapes and may be fabricated as one partor multiple parts form one or more of the same or different materialsusing one or more of the same or different processes. A substance mayflow out through outlet 833 and may, for example exit a device and enterthe environment of the device (e.g., in a ventilator setting may exit aUV-C sanitization device and enter a ventilator tube) or may enter aroom (e.g., an elevator, hotel room, cruise ship room) with sanitizedair. As per another example, treated air may be flow out of outlet 833through space 837 and may leave the device or chamber through one ormore apertures in structure providing space 837 such as one or moreapertures in portion 836. After treated air leaves portion 836 the airmay exit the device or may be flowed into another chamber. personsskilled in the art will appreciate that UV-C LEDs may be mounted to theexterior of tube 832 as well as one or more heat sinks and air may beflowed across the exterior of tube 832 (e.g., over surfaces of the heatsinks across tube 832) and out through portion 836. In doing so, forexample, treated air may be utilized to also remove heat from thedevice. In doing so, for example, air is not circulated from device 830that is not treated. In circulating untreated air, a device mayintroduce more contaminants into a portion of an environment by morequickly spreading contaminated air. Additionally, certain contaminantsmay be impacted by heat. Accordingly, the removal of heat may provide,for example, a second type of treatment in order to increase theinactivation of contaminants and/or render more contaminants inoperable.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that an access door may beprovided on structure 839 and may be, for example, aligned with outlet833 so that the access door may be opened and a cleaning brush may beutilized to clean the interior of the working channel. A lock may beprovided on the access door and a keyhole may be provided on the lock soa key may be utilized to open the lock. Other security mechanisms can beprovided such as, for example, a keypad entry that utilizes an entrycode or a biometric access lock (e.g., fingerprint and/or retinal).Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that device 830 may be ableto detect the status of an access door (e.g., whether the access door isopened or closed) and the device may restrict the UV-C light sourcesfrom turning on until circuitry confirms the access door is closed. Anynumber of access doors may be provided such as, for example, an accessdoor about inlet 834 to receive a particulate filter which could also,for example, be utilized to receive a cleaning utensil (e.g., brush) andthe cleaning utensil may be able to attach to and be removed from astructure located on device 830. A chain or rope or other flexiblestructure may be utilized to keep the cleaning utensil secured to device830 even when the cleaning utensil is removed from an attachmentstructure to device 830 and is being utilized by a user. Additionally,for example, a movable (e.g., pivotable) air direction fin (or fins) maybe provided at inlet 834 so that, for example, air may be pointed todifferent areas of a working area. Doing so may, for example, increasingthe impact of a cleaning protocol such that a cleaning protocol thatincreases airflow into a working are to clean the working area may bemoved to provide air at different locations in order to improve theimpact of the cleaning process.

FIG. 9 shows device 910 that may include fan portion 911, workingsubstance inlet 916 that flows through tube 917 (e.g., to provide UV-Ctreatment in the working area provided by all or one or more parts oftub 917) and leaves tube 917 and flows through the chamber provided bystructure 914 and leaves the chamber provided by tube 917 troughaperture 913. Extension 912 may be provided to direct the workingsubstance over the exterior of structure 914 (e.g., in generally thesame direction that air is being brought into the device by a fan.Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that treated air may leavethe device in one or more different directions than air is brought intoa device by a fan (e.g., perpendicular to the airflow into and past oneor more fans).

Device 930 may be provided and may include fan portion 931 that providesair through aperture 936 and through a UV-C treatment area past UV-Ctreatment area outlet 935 and then through one or more chambers and exitone or more chambers through aperture 932 and be provided about anexterior surface of a chamber through extension 933 and exit at outlet934. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that moving air throughthe inside of a chamber and the outside of a chamber may increase theamount of heat picked up by a substance in order to remove additionalheat from device 930.

Device 960 may be provided, in which one or more fans may be provided infan portion 961 and may provide air through apertures 932-935 to bringair through different chambers. Air may be UV-C sterilized in thechamber with inlet 963 and outlet 965 and air may remove heat throughinlets 962 and 964. Treated and heat collected air may be removedthrough one or more apertures (e.g., aperture 966. Persons skilled inthe art will appreciate that air not treated by UV-C may be brought outof device in a direction away from where treated air is moved in orderto, for example, reduce untreated contaminants by being spread by device960. Any types of fans may be provided such as centrifugal and/or axialfans. Device 980 may include one or more axial fan blades 981 and grill982. Fan blades and grills may be produced by any type of material suchas a polymer and/or a metal. The surfaces facing the inlet of a UV-Ctreatment area may be coated with UV-C reflective materials (e.g., ormay be fabricated from UV-C reflective materials such that UV-C leavingan inlet is reflected off those surfaces back into the device. Device990 may be, for example, a perspective view of device 980 of FIG. 9 andmay include one or more axial or other types of fan blades 991 and motorand motor housing 993. A fan may include different or the same types ofblades and multiple rows of blades of the same and/or different bladesfrom each other in the row or the same and/or different from blades inother row or rows of blades.

FIG. 10 shows UV-C treatment working area definition device 1020 thatmay have access portion 1021 and access portion 1029. Access portions1021 and 1029 may be mateable so that device 1020 may be utilized inmultiple different devices (e.g., a fan sterilization device, aventilator sterilization device, and a personal protective equipmentdevice coupled to a full or partial face mask). Access portions may bethe same or different. For example one portion may be in a femalemateable configuration and another access portion may be in a malemateable configuration. Recessed areas 1023-1028 may be provided toreceive light transparent materials (e.g., quartz) and may includeapertures with a smaller dimension than a recessed portion to receivelight from a light source (e.g., a UV-C LED). Device 1010 may includeportion 1011 that may be, for example, a perspective view facing theexternal opening to access portion 1021 of device 1020. Device 1030 mayinclude portion 1031 that may be, for example, a perspective view facingthe external opening to access portion 1029. Device 1040 may be, forexample, a cross section of a device (e.g., device 1060 about a recessedportion (e.g., recessed portion 164 of device) in the perspectivelooking down device 1060.

Device 1060 may include, for example, six sides and may include recessedportions 1064, 1063, and 1066, each with an aperture. Persons skilled inthe art will appreciate that different recessed portions may have thesame size and/or shape aperture or may have different size and/or shapeapertures. Central portion 1062 may be formed in a single structure asportion 1061 or the portions may be formed as different structures andthen removably attached or permanently fixed together.

FIG. 11 shows device 1110 that may include structure 111 with one ormore recessed portions 1112 and aperture 113. Persons skilled in the artwill appreciate that a side of structure 111 may have recessed regionsthat are aligned with one another and/or staggered. All, none, some, orever other recessed portions on other sides may align or not align withrecessed portions 1112. The sides of structure 1111 may rotate betweentwo or three recessed portion locations with respect to other sides.Access portions of device 1110 may have the same structure (or may be ofdifferent structure. Device 1120 may include inner surface 1122 and maybe, for example, a cross section of device 1010 where no recessedportions are provided at an angle facing toward the end of a device.

Device 1050 may include access portion 1151 and portion 1153 and one ormore recessed portions 114 and apertures 1155. Rings of three UV-C LEDsmay be aligned with one another on three different sides of a six-sidedstructure 1153. Twelve, fifteen, eighteen, and 21 UV-C (or more or lessor a different number) may be provided by providing one or more flexiblecircuit boards around structure 1153 with UV-C LEDs that align toapertures 1155. A diameter of an aperture 1155 may be greater than,equal to, or less than a diameter of a UV-C LED (e.g., an active regionor overall structure of a UV-C LED facing aperture 1155) Accordingly,six rings of three UV-C LEDs may be provided and may be staggered everyother ring with different sides of the six sided structure 1153.Structure 1153 may have any number of sides or no sides at all. Any sidemay be flat and/or non-flat. Alignment holes 1152 may be utilized toalign device 1050 in a sanitization device. Access portion 1156 may beprovided on device 1150. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate thatair may be moved through a sanitization device at any speed anddifferent speeds may have different inactivation rates of differenttypes of contaminants.

FIG. 11 shows device 1170 that may include UV-C LEDs 1171-1172, UV-C LEDconnectors 1175-1178, UV-C fiber optics 1179-1182, UV-C combiners 1183and 1184, UV-C fiber optics 1185 UV-C combiner 1187 and UV-C fiber optic1188 with a UV-C dispersion device 1189 (e.g., a UV-C lens and/or a UV-Cprism). Person skilled in the art will appreciate that UV-C fiber opticsmay degrade the amount of UV-C transported through them, but may keepheat away from the working area. Accordingly, UV-C fiber optics may bebeneficial such as, for example, bringing UV-C into the human body(e.g., into the nasopharynx, nasal passage, trachea, and/or lung).Multiple UV-C light sources (e.g., UV-C LEDs) may be combined togetherto provide any level of energy to a working surface without, forexample, providing heat to that working surface outside any heat, forexample, generated by photonic effects of the UV-C light on a workingsubstance (e.g., human mucus, tissue, and/or cells) and the surroundingsof the working surface (e.g., surrounding air and/or substances. Fiberoptics may be coupled to any UV-C receiving region (e.g., an UV-Creceiving aperture of a structure defining a UV-C working area). Two,three, four, five, or more than five UV-C sources may be combined. Forexample, more than ten or twenty UV-C sources may be combined into asingle output. As per another example, more than fifty or a hundred ortwo hundred UV-C sources may be combined into a single output.Electronics to provide UV-C light through UV-C LEDs may be provided, forexample, on one or more fixed, portable (e.g., wheeled) device as wellas the UV-C LED(s) themselves may be provided on such one or moredevices. Fiber optic output may be, for example, brought into a workingarea (e.g., located at each access point end facing into the workingarea) such that additional UV-C may be introduced into a UV-C workingarea. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that UV-C LEDs may, forexample be between 250 and 290 nm or, more particularly, between 260 and280 nm or, more particularly, between 260 and 270 nm, or moreparticularly, between 260 and 265 nm, or more particularly beapproximately 262 nm. Person skilled in the art will appreciate thateach UV-C LED may, for example, provide UV-C light at an energy of atleast 20 milliwatts or more or, more particularly, at an energy of atleast 50 milliwatts or more or, more particularly, at an energy of atleast 70 milliwatts or more.

FIG. 12 shows device 1210 that may include manual interface portion1121, UV-C treatment portion 1212, fan portion 1214, extension portion1213, and grate portion 1215. Cross section 1216 may be, for example,the perspective shown of device 1230 of FIG. 12. Device 1230 may includestructure 1231 that may point a part (e.g., an end) of flexible circuitboard having UV-C LEDs away from a tube so that additional electronicsmay be added to a flexible circuit board without, for example, impactingUV-C LED placement along a working area tube and to, for example,introduce heat from such electronic components away from a UV-C workingsurface defining tube. The portion of the circuit board (e.g., an end)mounted to structure 1231 may be mounted so that the portion ispositioned at an ninety degree angle away from a tube (e.g., give ortake 10 degrees, give or take 20 degrees, give or take 30 degrees) ormay be at an angle not ninety degrees.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that an air sterilization fanmay have multiple speeds such as, for example, 200 LPM and 400 LPM whichmay circulate treated air in, for example, approximately 7 and 14minutes, respectively. A fan (e.g., centrifugal fan) may be able to pushair through a working area (e.g., a tube with a 15 millimeter innerdiameter) at faster speeds (e.g., more than 400 LPM such as 2000 LPM and4000 LPM or faster). Such faster speeds may be utilized to movesterilized air around faster but at, for example, at lower efficaciesfor some contaminants, but also may be utilized to, for example, assistwith cleaning a working area be moving air faster through the workingarea. Increasing a fan speed may also, for example, increase the rate atwhich heat is removed from a sanitization device. Persons skilled in theart will appreciate that any sized working area of any shape may beutilized and workings with larger diameters may, for example, be able topush more working substance (e.g., air) through the working area.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that UV-C transparentmaterials may have at least 80 percent, 90 percent, 92 percent, or morethan 92 percent UV-C transparency. UV-C LEDs may provide, for example,light between 220 and 280 nanometers (e.g., between 255 and 275nanometers). A device may have, for example, at least 10, at least 20,and at least 30 UV-C LEDs.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a UV-C LED may producevisible spectrum light and that one or more visible light sensors may beutilized to detect this light in order to, for example, detect theamount of UV-C in a working area to determine, for example, if acleaning process should be initiated. Each UV-C LED may be operatedindependently and the amount of visible spectrum light compared tostored information associated with a clean state (e.g., a state when thedevice was manufactured or initially tested). In doing so, for example,the cleanliness of UV-C transparent material for a particular UV-C LEDmay be determined. Accordingly, a tube that provides a working area mayhave recessed portions and apertures associated to visible light sensors(and/or other sensor) and such sensors may be located at, for example,about each inlet/outlet of a device. Such sensors may be tilted to faceinto a working channel such that more light is received. In addition, orinstead of, testing each light source independently (e.g., each UV-Clight source independently) the UV-C LEDs may be tested in groups andmay be tested multiple times. All the UV-C LEDs may also be turned onand light sensed to determine a cleanliness profile for the device. Insensing multiple different UV-C LEDs operating at different times, acleanliness profile may be determined for each UV-C transparent materialthat is associated with each LED as well as the cleanliness of differentareas of UV-C reflective materials (or other materials) that may beprovided on an inner surface of a working area. Persons skilled in theart will appreciate that visual indicators (e.g., light sources and/ordisplays) may be utilized to provide feedback on cleanliness and thecleanliness of different portions of a device as well as estimatedsterilization impact at different operating modes. Furthermore, manualinputs may be provided so a user can perform a cleaning profilediagnostic so that after a cleaning a user can confirm the level ofcleanliness that exist sin the device. Persons skilled in the art willappreciate that a cleanliness profile diagnostic may also, for example,be utilized to indicate if a UV light source is estimated to not beoperational or operational at a particular diminished capacity. Theoperation of a device may be changed (e.g., autonomously) based onsensed data such as, for example, additional UV light sources may beactivated and/or the intensity of particular UV-C sources may beincreased.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that elements of any deviceherein may be utilized in any device herein. Persons skilled in the artwill also appreciate that the present invention is not limited to onlythe embodiments described. Instead, the present invention more generallyinvolves UV-C focus, amplification, and control. Persons skilled in theart will also appreciate that the apparatus of the present invention maybe implemented in other ways then those described herein. All suchmodifications are within the scope of the present invention, which islimited only by the claims that follow.

What is claimed is:
 1. A device comprising: an inlet; a fan for providing air into said inlet; a UV-C generation device, wherein said air is pushed through said UV-C generation device to provide sanitized air; a heat-sink coupled to said UV-C generation device, wherein said sanitized air removes heat from said heat sink before being expelled from an outlet;
 2. The structure of claim 1, wherein said UV-C is between 220 and 280 nanometers.
 3. The structure of claim 1, further comprising a fiber optic cable. 